Maus Vladeks Experience in the Gas Chambers
by T-Angel
Summary: Based on the graphic novel 'Maus' authored by Art Speigelman. This was an assignment for Yr 10 English. Based on Vladeks Experiences at the Gas Chambers.


**Vladeks Experience in the Gas Chambers**

Near the end of the war, I was assigned as a tinman to pull apart the gas chambers that had been used to exterminate Jews.

I was an eyewitness to what the gas chambers were and what they represented. There were whispered rumours, but these murmured tales did not correctly describe these buildings.

The buildings looked from the outside slightly menacing, but rather ordinary. The outside of the building told nothing of the horrors that had occurred within.

It was the inside of these buildings that chilled me to the bone, and truly showed me how completely insensitive and how horribly humans can treat each other.

Even after so long, the smell of burning flesh hung in the air, as a reminder of the horror that had occurred. Each breath was a reminder of what had happened here, and what I had escaped from.

It depressed me to think that many of my family and friends may have died here, and had come to this fate. Being tricked and misguided to their deaths.

I was awakened from my thought by my workmate. He had worked here longer, and knew more about the interior of the chambers. He explained to me how the gas chambers worked. I was unbelievably fascinated with how much he knew, he was almost an expert!

He explained to me the set up of the buildings. The gas chambers and undressing rooms were underground, while the ovens were concealed inside the buildings. I was also told how the Germans would scavenge anything of value from the bodies; Jewellery, clothing, golden fillings, anything!

He told me that prisoners worked the gas chambers.

"These workers got better pay, but every few months they too would go up the chimney"

He informed me of how the Jews were misguided into thinking the gas chambers were showers. It would be the perfect guise.

Many Jews had not been clean for weeks, and now they were being offered showers!

I suppose that many would have suspected. Since when were the Germans nice enough to give out showers?

Others would have believed that the Germans were doing it to sanitize and disinfect the Jews.

The worker continued to explain to me about the gas chambers as we walked through. The smell of burnt flesh in the air only got worse as we continued into the building.

"The Jews would come through a door that would lead them into an underground undressing area. It looked much like they were going in for a shower."

I nodded; I could see with my own eyes what he meant.

"They would then be herded into the gas chamber, which looked a lot like a shower. The floor and walls were tiled, and there were faucets in the ceiling."

He continued to explain to me how all the prisoners were crowded into the room, and that the door was sealed tight.

"Then a pesticide was dropped into the hollow columns that were set up around the room. The pesticide leaked through holes in the columns. The Germans really did think of everything."

It could take up to 30 minutes before all the prisoners had died. I was starting to get nervous about what the man would say next. I know that he had been working here while the gas chambers and ovens had been operational, but I was hoping that he wouldn't talk to me about it.

He did tell me though, and the images that he put into my head have haunted me ever since. He told me in detail of bodies piled up against the door, broken fingers from climbing the walls, and limbs torn from sockets. He told me how bodies would become crushed under one another, and that no-one was spared from this fate, from the youngest child to the oldest grandparent.

When we came back to the outside of the building, I noticed the large holes that had been dug into the ground. I thought that they were trenches to stop the Russians. I could think of no other reason that they would be there.

However, when I asked my workmate he laughed bitterly.

"Trenches!?" He exclaimed "Those are giant graves! They were used when the Germans needed to quickly get rid of the Prisoners. If they died in the gas chambers, they were lucky. Some of the prisoners where thrown into the pits while they were still alive. "

I couldn't hide my horrified expression. For the rest of the time I was working at the chambers, I didn't speak, to speak was to acknowledge what had happened, and all I wanted to do was keep my mind blank.


End file.
